Water-filter.



Patented my I8, 1399.

No. 629,3lo.

R. BARBIE.

y wAn-:R FILTER.

(Application tiled May 12, 189B.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT ROBERT EARRIE, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-FILTER'.

SPF(JIIE`ICA'LION4 forming' part of Letters atent No. 629,310, datedJuly 128, 1899.

Application led May 12J 1898. Serial No. 680,526. (No model.)

T0 civ/ZZ whom zt uty concern-.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT BARBIE, residingin the city andV county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsy1vaniahave invented a new and usefulImprovement in lVater Purifying `and Filtering Plants, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Myinvention relates to filtering plants usedj in purifying watersuppliesofcities 'and towns or in any large quantity for other purposes,if desired. f l 'i My invention consists in a prepared turf covering forfilter-beds, an automatic submerged iioating table that removes settledsediment, sluice-gates, and a waste-Water conductor, also abed-supporting base of inverted angle-iron, mechanical means of tiltingor oscillating the filter as a Whole, 'with the required arrangement offeed and delivery pipes, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring 4to they accompanying drawings, Figure' 1 shows a verticaltransverse section of tank and bed and the position and connectionsofgate 1 and weight W. Fig. 2 represents a-longitudinal side View oftable 27, showing supporting-rodf/JG, bearing 26', and wooden float 30;Fig. 3, an isometrical view of -arrangemerd. of angle-ironS andseparators 24 and openings 25. Fig. 4 represents an isometric'al view oftwin filter-beds and shows the general arrangements and positions of thedifferent parts made ready for the cleansing process; Fig. 5, a verticallongitudinal section of a single filter-bed in position over and above areceiving-reservoir, arrows representing conflicting streams'of water.

In the construction and application of my invention out of suitable tankmetal I construct the four tanksides A. To the bottom edge thereof Isecure supporting beams or cross-bars 4. Upon these rest a series ofinverted angle-irons S, kept apart from leach other by separators 24.Upon the network thus formed I place a layer of broken stone 6, eggsize, next a layer smaller in size, followed by layers of coarse andfine sand. These filtering media I next cover with a thickness ofprepared natural turf 7, which has been made free from loose particlesbypassing the turf through a forced -blast process. This completes theformation of tank and filter-bed, which may be constructed and connectedin series of two or more. At the ends thereof I provide Asupportingcentral trunnions and bearings G and B,'r`esting upon piers orsuitused.' YInlthe water-spaceyvithin the tank and directly above theturf surface 7 I place a suitv.able number yof* self-adjusting lfloatingtables 127,"m'ade fro'mtank material, and which `swing inbearings 26uponstay-rods 26, and which are provided with floats 30. @ver and above .thetanks, extendingfthe-length thereof and being made part of the same, Iconstruct a Y 'board `foot-path 15, resting upon brackets 14.

Along and Yupon the outer side of the tanks -I secure an inclinedsemicircular conductor 1l. Through this side of tank I provide sluiceopenings and gates 12. To the end of shaft or tru union G,- Iattach alever 9, or gear mechanismma'y be used where needed or desired. Uponeither side of the tanks A the feed-pipes 16 are placedlhorizontally,and from them extend vertically a series of delivery-pipes 17. To theupper end of these pipes are secured exchangeable hose nozzles, ashereinafter mentioned. Vhen required to control the VAfilter speed,theremay be provided a bottom 5,

having suitable gate 1, which by means of cordY 3 and rollers 2 connectswith the floating weight'W', controlled by the depth of water Within A.

The operation of my invention may be termed a down ward-ltering system,which will be understood to operate as follows: Having connected thefeed-pipes 16 to the supply,

water under pressure would nd exit through guide-nozzles 18. It is thesenozzles that each bed. Each stream surrounded bya current of air causedby velocity thereof, being broken or, splashed and falling to the bedbelow, Will lreceive a goodly, amount of aeration. The water-space 32within the tank having been filled, it will be evident that wooden lioat30 would bring the table 27 to a horizontal position under Water, andthus form a surface to receive settling sediment. The nature-of guidetwo or more streams of water in such a v manner as to cause saidstreamsto meet and mix at a point above and near the center of IOO natural turfundoubtedly forms an attractive adhesive surface for slime or riversilt, which substance has been found to contain the major portion of allfilth, disease-germs, and other impurities. l/Vater passing through turf7 continues down through layers of sand and rock and striking the surfaoe of inverted angle-iron 8 will trickle down through the openings25, falling in drops into the reservoir below, thus at this pointreceiving further aeration thereof. To clean the tables 27 and turfsurface 7, power may be applied at 9 and the tank and bed as a Wholetilted until the footwalk 15 and conductor 11 reach a horizontal plane.The surface 7 will then be inclined toward the said conductor, when thesluice-gates 12 may bel raised. It will be evident that when thewater-space 32 is empty the Weighted edge of table 27 will cause thesame to assume a vertical position. Now an attendantmay mount footwalk15 and exchange guide-nozzle 1S with a common hose and pipe (not shown)and may direct a stream of Water upon all parts of inner sides of tank,tables, and surface 7, and thus Wash all impurities through 12 intoconductor 11, which is intended to deliver the same through properConnections to sewer or other place of deposit. After cleaning the gates12 are closed,

motion reversed ati), alild the tank and bed again brought toaah-orizontal position and is then ready as before being cleaned.

Having thus described my invention, what 'intervening layers of brokenstone gravel and sand, a number of submerged7 self-adjusting tables forcollecting settlingl sediment, suitable guide-nozzles combined withvertical and horizontal feed-pipes and receivingreservoir substantiallyas herein set forth.

2. In a water-filter or iiltering plant a oombined tank and filterbedmounted upon suitable trunnions, bearings, abutments or piers thussuspended over. and above a supply-reeeiving reservoir, a series ofsluiee-gates and operating parts thereof an attached waste- Waterconductor registering with said gates and leading to some place ofdeposit an overhanging secured footwalk, combined with a lever or geartilting mechanism, and vertical and horizontal feed-pipes substantiallyas herein shown and described.

ROBERT BARBIE. Witnesses:

HARRY SOHNEEBELE, RENA SCHNEEBELE.

